goob tube

BR's Got Mad Style

2011-08-08T19:22:00.000-07:00

[image scanned by Goob Tube]

I know Mad Men is already going to be in its 5th season, but I'm just over the halfway point of season one (thank you Netflix!). It's been one of those shows that I've been meaning to watch but just never got around to it. Yes, I know... FAIL! I am totally hooked on the show now - I especially love the midcentury decor and their clothes are amazing! That era just had so much style.

And speaking of which, I was pretty excited last week when I received some mail from Banana Republic introducing their Mad Men Collection. It's not really new news, but I really like some of the pieces they've put together, i.e. the Betty inspired 'Betty' Dress ($150) for women and the Pete inspired Shawl Collar Cardigan ($150) for men (even though I don't really like either character).

[image scanned by Goob Tube]

[image scanned by Goob Tube]

To celebrate the launch of the new line, Banana Republic is throwing a cocktail party on Thursday, August 11th at various stores across the US, as well as Puerto Rico. Shoppers will be able to browse through the new collection while enjoying complimentary cocktails - sorry, I'm pretty sure no smoking allowed. There are even exclusive gifts for cardmembers with purchase at select stores. For a full list of participating stores, take a look at Banana Republic.

And just a heads up... For all you BananaCard Luxe holders, you can enjoy an extra 25% off your purchase every time you use your card from August 11-21.

Happy shopping everyone! Until next time...

The Return of Comic-Con

2011-07-27T23:28:00.000-07:00

As many of you may already know, Comic-Con 2011 was just this past weekend. After a brief hiatus from the Con scene last year, I did manage to snag some passes for Saturday and Sunday this year. I admit, I didn't really psych myself up for Con this time around... maybe because I've been absorbed in work and haven't really had time to think about anything else. Usually, I would have been looking forward to seeing the newest limited edition releases found in the Toy Growers Cult Yard, but I haven't been too excited by the vinyl scene lately. Maybe that's why I've been MIA for so long on here. This year, I found that I spent a lot of time roaming up and down the aisles in the Small Press area and discovering some pretty awesome artists. I managed to pick up some pretty dope prints from Nidhi Chanani, Joey Chou, Mike Maihack, and Katie Cook. Here are a couple of the prints I got over the weekend.

Cable Car - Nidhi Chanani

[image from Nidhi's Etsy]

batgirl: year one - Mike Maihack

[image from Cow Shell Graphics]

I'll try to post more from Comic Con in the coming weeks.

Until next time...

Green Lantern footage from WonderCon

2011-04-02T11:21:00.000-07:00

Green Lantern has been generating a lot of buzz since it gave fans a 10-minute sneak preview at CinemaCon and just yesterday at WonderCon. For those of us who couldn't make it to either convention, Warner Brothers has been so kind as to release a 4 minute preview for fans nationwide.

Green Lantern hits theaters on June 17.

Run Wondie Run

2011-04-01T10:05:00.001-07:00

Well, it looks like Adrianne Palicki's costume was revamped a bit for the filming of the pilot episode of David E Kelly's Wonder Woman revamp. Go Fug Yourself posted a slew of on-set photos of Palicki.

While I am still very skeptical of the show, I am beyond GLAD that whoever the hell designed the first costume did some major changes. Not that it's spectacular or anything, but due to major backlash of the original costume, it was re-designed to look more a bit more... practical.

No more electric blue pleather pants and matching boots. Her pants are now a nice non-pleather, star spangled navy and her boots are now red. And no more street walker red lipstick.

I'm still wondering why the eagle's head on her bustier is three dimensional. It just looks so weird.

Oi.

Unicorns I love them, Unicorns I love them...

2011-04-01T09:48:00.000-07:00

[photo courtesy of tokidoki]

Who says unicorns are impossible to find?

Tokidoki's Unicornos blind box mini-figures will be released on April 22 at a cool $6.95 US. There are 10 adorable winged creatures in each box, and two chase figures -- the rarest of the rare of an already rare breed.

My personal favorites are:

Dolce, with her pink frosty sprinkled mane.

and Metallo, the little robotic unicorn.

Who's your favorite?

New Doctor Who series trailer

2011-03-30T18:02:00.000-07:00

[video courtesy of BBC One]

Sorry if this is starting to turn into a Doctor Who blog. Actually, no I'm not. Doctor Who is fantastic!

Anyway, a new 1-minute trailer was released this morning showing more footage of the upcoming series, and according to Neil Gaiman's Facebook page, there are 8 shots from his episode (entitled "The Doctor's Wife" and will be the 4th episode to air) and also a few bits of dialog.

Doctor Who premieres worldwide April 23. Ugh... too far away.

AMC gives Mad Men fans something to be mad about

2011-03-29T12:34:00.000-07:00

Though fans of the AMC drama Mad Men can now own the 4th season on DVD and BluRay today, there's some off set drama causing distress to both cast and crew, and fans alike.

AMC announced that there will be a 5th season of Mad Men, but unlike previous years, fans won't get a summer premiere.

“While we are getting a later start than in years past due to ongoing, key non-cast negotiations, ‘Mad Men’ will be back for a fifth season in early 2012,” the channel said.

Non-cast negotiations relates to Matt Weiner, the creator of the show, whose contract expired at the end of the 4th season.

Also, in an interview with the the New York Times, Weiner had said that the network wants to cut two cast members off the show as well as two minutes of the episode -- one for cost, and the other for more ad space.

The network shouldn't have a say in who stays and who goes. That should be up to the creative heads of the show. But that's just my two pennies.

2011-03-29T11:53:00.000-07:00

[photo courtesy of Gama-Go]

WonderCon begins this Friday, but why wait to join in on the geektastic festivities?

Gama-Go will be throwing a shindig at their flagship store in San Francisco on the 31st to celebrate WonderCon. If you're in the area, head on down between 4:30-6:30 for free booze, door prizes, and a hearty 25% off of all merchandise in the store.

Amy Adams wins the role of Lois Lane for Zack Snyder's Superman flick

2011-03-27T20:45:00.000-07:00

After Henry Cavill was announced as the latest actor to portray the son of Krypton in Zack Snyder's Superman revival back in February, speculations of what actress would take on the role of Lois Lane quickly circulated around the blogsphere and young Hollywood.

Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Biel, Rachel McAdams, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Dianna Agron, Olivia Wilde, Kristen Stewart, Maline Ackerman, Kristen Bell and Lake Bell have all been rumored to be up for the role of the iconic journalist.

But none of the aforementioned actresses will take on the Man of Steel. Rather, Snyder has cast 3-time Academy Award nominee Amy Adams.

At first I was taken aback by Snyder's choice, but Adams is definitely a well-rounded actress, showing audiences that she can be funny, charming, and downright badass. She's not exactly what I picture Lois Lane to be, but I'm putting off all judgment for now.

The Many Adventures of Doctor Pooh

2011-03-26T23:55:00.000-07:00

[photo courtesy of Rob Wood]

Earlier today, my friend Tim and I met up to discuss plans for attending WonderCon's Doctor Who panel -- what time should we be there? Will we have enough time to pick up our badges and get in line for the panel? Why do the doors open at 11 when the panel starts at 11:30?!

Anyway, we watched The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (because it's a good rainy day movie) and then proceeded to have a Doctor Who marathon.

During this time, Tim told me about Reddit's Doctor Who Subreddit and low and behold, this t-shirt showed up (designed by Rob Wood)! Currently, it's up on Qwertee where folks can vote on whether they want it to be printed as a 1-day deal.

But if you're like me, and you don't want to wait and see if it actually gets printed, you can go ahead and purchase it at Red Bubble. You can order it in almost any color you like, as a v-neck, a hoodie, or a regular 'ol crewneck -- the possibilites are endless!

Doctor Who @ WonderCon

2011-03-26T22:35:00.001-07:00

Doctor Who made it's WonderCon debut last year with the premiere episode of the 5th season. The Doctor will be making a comeback at this year's Con on Sunday, April 3, with sneak peeks of the upcoming 6th season, set to premiere on BBC America on April 23 with "The Impossible Astronaut."

Guest writer Neil Gaiman (Sandman, Coraline), actor Mark Sheppard (Supernatural, Battlestar Galactica), and director Toby Haynes (Doctor Who, Being Human) will be present for a Q&A with moderator, and beloved Whovian, Chris Hardwick (Nerdist).

The Doctor Who panel starts at 11:30, doors open at 11.

I'll be there with my copy of The Graveyard Book and a Sharpie... just in case I happen to run into Neil Gaiman... :sigh:

7 min. & 25 sec. of new Doctor Who!

2011-03-18T17:03:00.000-07:00

Fans of the popular British sci-fi show Doctor Who may have to wait a little over a month for the new season to begin on April 23, but a two-part short entitled "Time" has been released in honor of Red Nose Day.

Not so wonderful

2011-03-18T16:26:00.001-07:00

Not too long ago, it was announced that Friday Night Lights actress Adrianne Palicki was cast in David E. Kelley's Wonder Woman TV revamp as the title role.

The reaction was mixed. Some folks were all for Palicki tackling the role of the beloved Amazon superhero. And others, like myself, were skeptical.

With the recent release of Palicki dressed in full Wonder Woman regalia, I have to say I remain skeptical. Hollywood has had major difficulties trying to bring Wonder Woman to the big and little screen for years. The public has Lynda Carter's portrayal of good ol' Wondy imprinted in their mind's eye -- how could we possibly accept another actress to don those star spangled bottoms?

And can we take note on the material of the costume? It's PLEATHER. This publicity photo looks more like something you'd find on the Spirit store's website during Halloween. It would be a cool Halloween costume, but for a TV show? Hera, no!

Put some POW in your makeup routine

2011-02-10T11:47:00.000-08:00

[all photos courtesy of MAC]

The long awaited Wonder Woman MAC makeup line is finally available at all MAC stores, makeup counters, and online retailers (such as Nordstrom). Just in time for Valentine's Day. Woooo...?

[lipstick: $15.50 US]

[powder blush: $24 US]

Wonder Woman is a strong Amazonian -- she doesn't need a man, and neither do you! There's no need to sit around home moping about how you're single. Unearth your inner superhero with various lipsticks and glosses in shades of pink, mauve, and red, red and blue nail polish, eyeshadows, etc. and grab some friends, and kick ass. But not literally, leave that Wonder Woman.

Each star spangled item is emblazoned in Wonder Woman's logo and signature colors: blue, red, and yellow.

And for $30 US, you can store makeup in these faux metallic leather cosmetic bags:

[also available in red]

But if you do have a special someone, have 'em ditch the flowers and candies. Nothing says "I love you" like a good set of eye shadows.

Go SPLASH!

2010-08-03T08:53:00.001-07:00

[photo courtesy of Tee Fury]

Kool-Aid Man is MAD! Why? He probably showed up at a party thinking the folks were sippin' on Kool-Aid, but realized they were using Crystal Light packets. Ugh, the horror!

You can grab this shirt on Tee Fury for a cool $9, but you gotta act fast. In case you're not familiar with Tee Fury, their deal is "Tee today, gone tomorrow." They put up a new shirt everyday and it can be purchased for a limited amount of time.

If you want this, buy it now. Otherwise, it'll be gone tomorrow and you just may go SMASH. And I don't think anyone would like that.

Disneyland turns 55

2010-07-12T12:41:00.001-07:00

The Happiest Place on Earth will be of age to be considered a Senior Citizen this Saturday, July 17!

To celebrate, Disneyland will be distributing these special retro park maps all week long. And on the 17th, the park will be doing special things throughout the day.

At noon, a dedication ceremony will take place in Town Square, and at 4:15 p.m. cast members will sing Happy Birthday.

From 9-11 a.m. the Disney Gallery (now located on Main Street) will hold a signing for their 55th anniversary merchandise with artists Kevin Kidney, Jody Daily, and Noah.

The merchandise was inspired by original items found throughout the park when it first opened, such as the popcorn boxes and cups. Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily re-created said items out of ceramic. There's also a nice little tea cup set designed after the Mad Hatter's Tea Party attraction.

[all photos courtesy of Disney Park Blog & Kevin Kidney]

Doctor Who-welry

2010-07-12T01:24:00.000-07:00

I am horribly smitten with the British sci-fi show Doctor Who. My love for it may have gotten to the point where it's unhealthy -- I dream about time travel, I constantly make references to Doctor Who, I've developed a fear of statues, and whenever something’s not working (an electronic appliance, elevator, a broken down car) I think, "If only the Doctor was real, he could totally fix this" or "Damn, I could really use a Sonic Screwdriver right now."

Yeah, I know. I'm off my rocker.

But my obsession has led me to find some rad stuff on Etsy. Notably an array of necklaces made out of palmer clay and resin by The Clay Pony.

She's made pendents of the TARDIS© (the Doctor's ship, for those not in the know), Daleks (the Doctor's long-time foe), and K-9 (a robotic pup). At $17 US, you can nab a simple pendent on a chain. For $27 US, there are beautifully crafted cameo-esque pendents on a leather chord that features The TARDIS©, Daleks, and K-9 (pictured below).

[photos courtesy of The Clay Pony]

Currently, there are only cameos of K-9, the TARDIS©, and the Time Lord symbol available, and a K-9 necklace on a chain. The Clay Pony often restocks, but you have to be quick to get what you want! I bought a Dalek necklace a few months ago and wear it almost everyday.

To get a better idea of how the necklaces look on someone, here's a picture of me wearing my Dalek necklace.

If you haven't seen Doctor Who, I urge you all to check it out. If you like monsters, aliens, and cheeky British humor, this show is for you! The fifth season is just about to wrap up here in the US, but if you happen to have Netflix, seasons 1-4 are available for instant streaming along with classic episodes from the 70s.

Brian McCarty's toy story

2010-07-11T01:59:00.001-07:00

Toy photographer extraordinaire Brian McCarty is [FINALLY] coming out with a book featuring his work. It chronicles the last five years of his toy photography, which has been used in Hi-Fructose editorials as well as StrangeCo promotional photos. Many of his subjects are part of the Urban Vinyl movement -- toys created by contemporary artists such as Tim Biskup, Simone Lego, Jeremy Fish, Amanda Visell, and a bevy of others.

Like what Pixar has achieved in their Toy Story franchise, McCarty truly brings toys to life in his photos.

Art-Toys is set to release this month and signed copies will be available at the Hi-Fructose and Baby Tattoo's booths at San Diego Comic-Con.

If you can't make it (like me), you can purchase the book via McCarty's website for $40 US (+ $6.50 shipping). For $95 US (+ $8.50 shipping), you can have the special edition that comes in a vinyl slipcase and is signed and numbered by McCarty and a some of the artists whose toys are featured in the book (Frank Kozik, Patrick Ma (of Rocket World), Otter X, Mark Nagata (of Max Toy Co.), Attaboy, Sam Flores, and MARS 1 to name a few).

[all photos courtesy of Brian McCarty]

2010-07-11T00:37:00.000-07:00

I frequent Tumblr quite often (one of many reasons why I have neglected this blog for so long), and this particular image has popped up a few times.

Geeky fashionistas of the world, how 'effing amazing are these shoes? Answer: VERY amazing! Problem is, I have no idea where to obtain them, what shoe brand they are, or if they were a DIY creation from a very crafty individual. I don't even know who to give photo credit to. x__x

Of course I tried Google, but alas. No results.

So ladies, I'm sorry, but we're just going to have to sit and drool. Or unless you have any knowledge on these pumps, do share! I know I'm supposed to be telling you guys where you can snatch awesome things such as these shoes, but just this once I don't know!

Are you a Skirt or a Suit?

2010-07-10T22:12:00.000-07:00

While most shows have already had their season finales back in May, AMC's critically acclaimed and award-winning show Mad Men returns for their fourth season on Sunday, July 25.

The Mad Men Yourself avatar creator has been updated with all sorts of new goodies for the upcoming season.

Remember that BB gun Betty used on her neighbor's pigeons after he threatened to shoot the family dog? You can add that to your avatar now! Joan's accordion? Yep, that too. Hell, you can start wearing a fez now too (actually, that's only for "Suits" ... and I don't even know if that's new because I never looked at the men's avatar maker before the update. Sorry!). Anywho, more clothes, more accessories, more drinks, more fun!

Here's my new avatar up above. Quite appropriate for summer, wouldnt' you agree?

Once again, the fourth season begins on Sunday, July 25 @ 10 p.m. and the Mad Men Barbie dolls (which I blogged about in March) will be available this month as well. You can pre-order Joan, Roger, and the Drapers on Barbie Collector.

[photo courtesy of AMC]

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

2010-03-28T14:19:00.001-07:00

The film adaptation of Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim series has been one that's either been long anticipated by fans or somewhat loathed by (as many are skeptical or do not approve of Michael Cera taking the lead).

The Scott Pilgrim vs. The World trailer was released not too long ago.

Watch it below and form your own opinion...

Unicorns + Robots = WIN!

2010-03-28T13:57:00.001-07:00

[courtesy of Justin Winslow/Mythfits]

When I first saw Justin Winslow's fairly new webcomic "Mythfits," I thought:

Holy sh!t, this is AMAZING
Why didn't I think of this?!
Oh yeah, I can't draw to save my life

Luckily for me, and for you, Winslow managed to think up this magical world where a robot and unicorn fall in love. "Mythfits" is charmingly hilarious and completely adorable.

[courtesy of Justin Winslow/Mythfits]

Like I mentioned before, this webcomic is still new. Winslow is still fleshing out the inhabitants of "Mythfits" -- above is a little guide to who's who and who's connected to who and whatnot.

So far, it's shaping up to be an enjoyable read. :)

Mad Dolls

2010-03-10T10:08:00.001-08:00

[photo courtesy of Mattel]

After three seasons on AMC, Mad Men has launched it's way into pop culture with their slick and dapper 1960's fashion -- I myself have acquired a pen necklace like Joan's, and there's a plethora of Mad Men inspired ensembles that can be found on Etsy.

Come this July, the four most popular characters (Joan Holloway, Roger Sterling, Don Draper, and his wife Betty) will be hitting toy stores across the nation in Barbie form. Staying true to the show's retro roots, Mattel has given each character the old school Barbie make-over.

[photo courtesy of AMC/Lionsgate]

Mattel will be producing 7,000 to 10,000 of each doll, and they'll be released under their premium collector's line called "Barbie Fashion Model Collection." They'll retail for $74.95.

Ouch... whatever happened to the days when Barbie was less than a dollar?

Season 3 of Mad Men will be released on DVD/Blu-Ray on March 23.

Save the Murlocs!

2009-11-25T21:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Ducktales!

2009-09-21T12:40:00.000-07:00

On this very day in 1987, Disney's Ducktales made its television debut.

They don't make 'em like this anymore. ::sigh::